1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to coverings or enclosures for electrical wiring and cables. More particularly, it relates to novel and improved protective architectural moldings that have the appearance of wood millwork and that provide channels for electrical wiring, cables, and associated devices. Sections of the moldings may be easily removed and reinstalled to permit modifications to the electrical wiring and cables used for automation, communication, control, entertainment, networking, and/or security systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent years have brought unprecedented advancement in communication, entertainment, computer networking, security, automation, and control systems for homes and commercial buildings. Most existing homes were not built to accommodate these new technologies. Furthermore, the current rate of change in these technologies makes it very difficult to pre-wire new xe2x80x9csmartxe2x80x9d homes and buildings to fully anticipate future needs and opportunities. The design philosophy for these new systems is typically one of xe2x80x9cstarxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9chub and spokexe2x80x9d topography that requires most devices to be connected individually back to a central hub or connection point. The star topography requires an increasing number of wires and cables in greater lengths, compounding the difficulty of accommodating the new technologies. As a result, an unmet need exists for an attractive, cost-effective, and easily modifiable means of accommodating the wiring and cables for these complex electronic systems in existing structures and for future-proofing new construction for the technologies being developed.
Existing finished structures, in particular, present difficulties to installing such systems or networks due to the complications of running wiring and cables in the interior of walls that have already been covered. Snaking electrical lines vertically in the space between wall studs is feasible for short runs of wiring or cable to complete the last few feet of connection to a device or jack. The greater need, however, is to link all the cables and wires in a generally horizontal direction back to a central connection and control hub. However, running wiring and cables horizontally through the studs is difficult, time-consuming, and disruptive to the finished structure. Portions of the wallboard must be cut out, holes drilled through or notches cut in the studs, and the wall surfaces must be patched and refinished after installation. The drilling of holes or notching of studs can weaken the structure. The demolition and repair procedure is often much more costly and time-consuming than the actual running of cables. The installer risks running into existing electrical power lines, plumbing lines, or other obstructions concealed within the walls, ceilings, and floors. Exterior walls and shared walls between adjacent dwelling spaces can make installing these additional wires and cables nearly impossible due to the presence of fiberglass or foam weather insulation, sound insulation, or fire walls.
Surface-mounted wiring raceways and conduits with snap-on covers have been designed for carrying electrical wires, but their use detracts from the appearance of a residence or professional office. Some of these raceways are surface-mounted on walls and other interior surfaces along with existing moldings. Others may take the place of baseboards and are made of materials such as metal or plastic, which have no resemblance to classical wood millwork. Generally, they are considered undesirable for residences because they look like wire raceways rather than finished interior trim that complements the appearance of a home. Furthermore, baseboard-style raceways do not provide means for continuing wiring and cables around doors, windows, or other wall openings to reach any point in the room or to connect these same wires and cables back to a central control hub.
Interior and exterior millwork has been used for centuries to provide an attractive, finished look to homes and commercial structures. To date, millwork has not been designed to carry low-voltage electrical power, automation, communication, and/or control wiring and cables, or to be removable in order to modify wiring and cables without defacing the finished surfaces of a home or office.
Applicant""s invention includes individual pieces of millwork having surfaces which duplicate interior and exterior trim work. The millwork is designed to provide at least one channel or conduit for wiring, cables, and other power, communication, networking, and control transmissions, or to cover existing wiring conduits and raceways. In addition, the invention includes the combination of these pieces with each other and/or with interior wall, floor, or ceiling space penetrations in order to complete all or a portion of a network or automation system in a residential or commercial structure.
In addition, the moldings are designed so that sections may be easily removed and reinstalled in order to facilitate installation and modification of the covered wiring and cables. Typical means of removably attaching the moldings include the following: double stick foam tape; a hook and loop fastening system such as Velcro(E; reclosable fasteners such as those made by 3M(trademark); push fasteners; row boat fasteners; and removable/repositionable tape.
The millwork of the present invention may have a natural wood finish, or one that can be painted or stained. The present invention may be constructed from hardwoods such as mahogany, birch, white oak, red oak, maple, ash, walnut, or poplar; soft woods such as cedar, pine, Douglas fir, or redwood; or medium-density fiberboard, polyurethane, and other materials that can be formed to have the appearance of wood.
The millwork of the present invention may have design features of styles to complement the appearance of the room, including Victorian, country, traditional, southwest, colonial, or other architectural styles of the twentieth and earlier centuries.
It is an object of the invention for the baseboard millwork to accommodate and cover wiring and cables when the baseboard is surface-mounted on an interior wall near the floor. It is a further object of the invention for the baseboard to optionally have periodic receptacles, jacks, and ports for the connection of various pieces of electronic equipment, as desired by the user. It is a further object of the invention for the baseboard to provide connections to other trim pieces, such as corner pieces or casings, in order to complete the network in a given room.
Cornice and crown moldings may also be used where convenient for the purpose of covering wiring and cables, again with the object of providing an appealing finish when they are surface-mounted on an interior wall near the ceiling. These can be particularly useful for connecting speakers, low-voltage lighting, and/or security monitoring devices. They may also be used to cover spaces between ceiling joists for the connection of devices mounted on the ceiling of the room. The inventive molding, mounted at the ceiling level, is also useful for covering wiring around the perimeter of a room, using fewer lineal feet than would be required by a combination of baseboards, door casings, and possibly window casings to circumnavigate an entire room.
Chair rails, or other horizontal trim pieces, may be used in a similar manner for providing a decorative cover for cables and wiring at different elevations between the floor and ceiling.
Door and window casings of the present invention can be used to support and cover sections of the wiring and cables of a network.
Vertical runs of wiring and cables can be achieved by the use of inventive vertical corner trim work, for either interior or exterior comers. Alternatively, vertical runs can also be accomplished by feeding wire vertically within the wall space between studs to connect wiring behind cornice moldings with wiring behind baseboards or door casing moldings.
Corner pieces of various styles are used to provide connections between various horizontal and vertical trim pieces.
The molding of the present invention may also be used to cover penetrations in the walls, floors, or ceilings in order to feed wires and cables from one room to another or to connect wires and cables to electrical jacks, ports, or other devices.
In addition to actually carrying wiring and cables, the millwork of the present invention can be used to cover and camouflage functional wiring raceways and electrical conduits.
A finished appearance in any given layout may require the installation of sections of matching trim work which does not actually carry cables or wiring, if network capabilities are not presently needed for a particular section of a room.
The millwork of the present invention may be used in combination with other hard-wired or wireless systems to complete an automation or control system in a residential or commercial structure.
Depending on the network and connections needed for a particular residential or commercial structure, a combination of the interior and exterior trim, wall, floor, and ceiling penetrations and interior runs, and wiring raceways and conduits, may be used by the designer, builder, or end-user.
An object of this invention is to provide a system for installing wiring and cables which is easier and faster than going through studs in the walls. In addition, some or all of the moldings can be made to be easily removed and reinstalled so as to facilitate future modifications to the wires and cables.
Finally, unlike the currently-available wiring conduits and raceways, the present invention provides an aesthetically-pleasing appearance which complements the decor of the home or commercial structure in which it is installed.